[Pleural effusion in chronic pancreatic diseases. Apropos of 4 cases]

Abstract

On the basis of 4 personal cases, the authors recall the principal features of pleural effusions caused by chronic pancreatitis. The pancreatic origin should be suggested in any case of recurrent exudative pleurisy. The assay of amylase in the pleural fluid is the key to the diagnosis. Investigation of pancreatitis benefits from modern methods of morphological investigations, essentially retrograde cholangiography and abdominal computed tomography. Treatment consists above all of that of the causal lesion : initially medical and sometimes requiring surgery.